Wire-fence tool.



P. H. MERRILL.

WIRE FENCE TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED mam, 1911.

1,015,503, Patented Jan. 23, 1912 rEMerr/W. WWW

PETER I-I. MERRILL, 0E PARDEEVILLE,

LEONARD E. WHEELER, 0

W sconsin, Ass'IenoRioE ONE-BALI!" TO I RANDOLPH, WISCONSIN.

WIRE-FENCE TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1912.

Application filed February 21, 1911. Serial No.'610,046.

To all whomit mag "concern:

Be it known that I, PETER H. MERRILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pardeeville, in the county of Columbia and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire- Fence Tools, of which the follo wing is a specification.

This invention relates to wire working tools, and especially to tools used in making wire fencing, and comprises a combined staple puller and wire splicer whichis capable of convenient use in making, removing, and resetting wire fences, as more fully explained hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tool embodyingjthe invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. 'Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawing, it will be seen that the tool is made of a single piece or rod ofmetal, conveniently round iron, shaped at opposite ends as hereinafter described. The stock 6 of the toolserves'as a lever or handle for the operation thereof. At one end thereof is formed a staple puller consisting of a claw 7 which is flattened and tapered on oppositesides to apoint 8, and the lower or outer edge 9 of this clawis inclined at an angle toward the point 8, th'ere-- by producing a wedge shaped end.

In the use of the device, for pulling sta le s the claw may be driven into the woo if necessary, by. hammering at ,the bend 10' thereof, the point 8 entering under the. staple. The incline 9 in contact with thewood causes a wedging action which will start the staple, after which the stock 6 can be swung as a lever to draw the same. This device can be used even if the staple has been buried out of sight in the wood, since itcan be driven in to engage thereunder.

At the opposite end of the stock to the staple puller is a wire" splicing and bending device formed by bending the'rod reversely to produce an open hook 11, which may be used in bending wire, and the extreme end 'wire,

.. same, said can also beused a .wire under the staple.

the top of the staple,

of the rod beyond the hook is again bent back upon itself and flattened as indicated at 12, and this flattened part isprovided with a hole '13 near the end thereof. For bendingwire, it may be passed through the hook 11 and the tool then twisted or turned on the longitudinal axisof the stock 6, to bend the wire, the parts 7 and 12 being grasped by the hands to give the necessary leverage.

' For splicing, by coiling 'the endsof'the wires to be-connected, the 'end'of one wire is inserted through the hole 13 and thepartl2 is then laid againstthe straight or standing and the free end of the tool is then turned'or swung around the standing wire to-coilthe end of the other wirearound the end drawing throughthe hole 13 as the tool is'turned,the stock 6 acting as a lever, toformthe coil. The open hook ll for coiling .or splicing barbed wire, which would not draw through the hole 13. The coil when made with the tool can be more or less open or closed according to the angle or position at which the tool'is held during the winding operation. r

' The tool is simply constructed and can be m'adefby; any blacksmith and will be found -very serviceable for the "intendedpurpose.

The form of the claw 7 is such that it will pull a staplewithout mashing or nutilating .Tl11S is due to the fact that said -clawhas' converging sides as shown in Fig. 3 and is slightly rounded on f top fasindicated': at '14 and asshown-in Fig. When'used to pull a staple the point'is inserted underthel staple, and .when driven in will crowd the wire to. one side and so that when the pressure is applied the point of the claw will not pressthe wire against but will pass up'beside said'wire and against the staple itself, thereby avoiding bending or mashing the wire when the staple ispulld. Also the hook 11 is so shaped' tha't barbed wire may be handled therein, without touching it with the hands, or lettingthewire twist.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secnre by Leigv In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature ters Patent 1s:' v

v I v in presence of two witnesses. A wlre worklng tool eomprlsmg a rod bent to form a hook at one end, and a re-. 7 PETER H. MERRILL. 5 curved and flattened. part beyond the end of Witnesses: e

the hook, said part having a transverse hole S. H. DOOLEY,

therethrough. R. E. GARNER. 

